Experimental Study on Reinforcement Effect of Geosynthetics for Surplus Soil, an Unsuitable Fill Material

Surplus soil is commonly used at construction sites, because suitable fill material is not always immediately available and leads to additional costs. However, most surplus soils do not meet the requirement of suitable fill material to achieve the stability and strength of embankments. In this study, Proctor compaction tests and field compaction tests were performed by installing geosynthetics to resolve the problems caused by compacting unsuitable soils. Compaction energy and the number of geosynthetics were changed under the type A- and D- and type A Proctor compaction tests (KS F 2312), respectively. The field compaction testing using geosynthetics was performed on surplus soils of high water content. Optimum water content and maximum dry density of compacted soil decreased and increased by reinforcing geosynthetics, respectively. Compaction curves behaved with geosynthetics as the compaction curves behaved with higher compaction energy. Efficient compaction was possible because the compaction energy increased to 2.10 and 2.71 times the compaction energy required to achieve the same maximum dry density with one and two geosynthetic layer(s), respectively. Furthermore, field compaction tests verified that efficient compaction was possible because the dry density of unsuitable surplus soils of high water content was increased by reinforcing geosynthetics.